Blind-shaft bearing for the driving means of electric locomotives.



G. LUN DH OLM. BLIND SHAFT BEARING FOR THE DRIVING MEANS OF ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 30, 1914.

1,095,007, Patented Apr. 28, 191i GUS'IAF LUNDI-IOLM, 0F VES'IERAS, SWEDEN.

BLIND-SHAFT BEARING FOR THE DRIVING MEANS OF ELECTRIC LOCOMOTIVES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. '28, 1914..

Application filed January 30, 1914. Serial No. 815,480.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUs'rAF LUNDHOLM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vesteras, Sweden, have invented new and useful Improvements in Blind-Shaft Bearings for the Driving Means of Electric Locomotives, of which the following is a speci fication.

This invention relates to the driving means of electric locomotives in which the transmitting of the movements of the motor shaft to the driving wheels is effected by means of double cranks attached to the motor shaft and provided with crank pins placed diametrically opposite to one another relatively to the said motor shaft and connected with corresponding cranks attached to a blind shaft which is located on a level with the driving wheels, and from the cranks of which the movements are transmitted to the driving wheels by means of coupling rods.

The object of this invention is to effect proper distribution of work in the connecting rods connecting the double cranks attached to the driving shaft with the corresponding cranks on the blind shaft so that, at two connecting rods pertaining to the same pair of cranks, the tractive power in one connecting rod shall in all positions of the cranks be equal to the pulling force in the other connecting rod. The elastic deformations inevitably occurring in connecting rods, crank shafts and the like and never being so adjustable that they equalize one another completely, cause that, in case of an invariable distance between the driving shaft and the blind shaft, two cooperating connecting rods will transmit parts of different magnitude of the couple to be transmitted, which in its turn causes that a pressure corresponding to said difference is eX- erted in the blind shaft bearings. In order to obviate said disadvantage each of the bearings of the blind shaft is, according to the present invention, so arranged that it is free to move in vertical direction but fastened rigidly in horizontal direction. Two different forms of such a bearing are illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which-- Figure 1 shows a sectional view of one form of the bearing Fig. 2, diagrammatically, driving device of the class in which the bearing is intended to be used, and Fig. 3 a modified form of the bearing.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 1, 1

deslgnates the brasses being of substantially U-formed cross-section and guided in vertical guides located in the frame-work of the locomotive, said brasses being prevented from moving in horizontal direction in the guides. Placed between the lower surface of the brasses 1 and the frame-work is a spring 2 tending to keep the brasses pressed against the blind shaft 3. The modified form of the bearing shown 111 Fig. 3 is suitable for great bearing pressures. In this case the brasses are divided into two parts 1 and 1 the division line 1 being inclined suitably relatively to the vertlcal plane through the center of the blind shaft 3. Each of the parts 1 and 1 will thereby be capable of resisting great horizontal pressures. A weak spring 2 placed above the upper part 1 and a stronger spring 2 located beneath the part 1 and corresponding to the spring 2 shown in Fig. 1 keep the parts 1 and 1 in contact with the blind shaft 3.

Fig. 2 shows the connection of the blind shaft 3 placed on a level with the driving wheels 4 of an electric locomotive with themotor shaft 5 and the said driving wheels 4. Attached to each end of the blind shaft is a double crank 6 and 7, each of said double cranks being provided with two crank pins 8, 9 and 10, 11 placed diametrically opposite to one another relatively to the shaft 3 and, by means of the connecting rods 12, 13 and 14:, 15, connected with corresponding crank pins on similar double cranks attached to the driving shaft 5. The connection between the double cranks of the blind shaft and the driving wheels is, as usual, efiected by means of coupling rods 16.

By the described arrangement the bearing is permitted, by moving in vertical direction, always to assume a position in which the bearing pressure in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rod is nullified, because the insignificant power necessary to overcome the friction at the movement of the brasses may be disregarded. Since, consequently, from practical point of view, no bearing pressure in the longitudinal direction of the connecting rods need be taken into account, the powers working in opposite directions in the two cooperating connecting rods are always equal.

The springs 2 and 2 ought to be so adjusted that, beside the brasses, they are capable of supporting the blind shaft together with its cranks and a part of the weight of the connecting rods, preferably the one half thereof. The above mentioned movement of the bearing is very insignificant and will under no circumstances be so great that the contact of the blind shaft and the crank pins with the corresponding bearings is interfered with to some appreciable extent.

The bearing above described may, if desired, be used for reducing the pressure in the bearings of the motor shaft, in case the blind shaft is placed vertically or nearly so beneath the motor shaft. In this case, it is true, a correspondingly uneven distribution of work in the connecting rods will take place, said uneveness, however, being insignificant in comparison with the maximal powers exerted in the connecting rods. By a suitable choice of the supporting spring placed below the brasses, the latter may be brought to take up an arbitrarily great part of the weight of the rotating members.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In driving means for electric locomotives, the combination of a motor driven shaft, driving Wheels, a blind shaft placed on a level with the driving wheels, double cranks attached to the blind shaft and arranged to transmit the movements of the motor driven shaft to the driving wheels, double cranks attached to the motor shaft and connected with the aforesaid double cranks, and bearings for said blind shaft movable in vertical direction and immovable in horizontal direction, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2'. In driving means for electric locomotives, the combination of a motor driven shaft, driving wheels, a blind shaft placed on a level with the driving wheels, double cranks attached to the blind shaft and arranged to transmit the movements of the motor driven shaft to the driving Wheels, double cranks attached to the motor shaft and connected with the aforesaid double cranks, and bearings for said blind shaft movable in vertical direction and immovable in horizontal direction, said bearings being resiliently supported, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAF LUNDIIOLM. Witnesses A. K. AULIECK, A. NILSSON.

Gopiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

